Recipe

As we approach the first official day of Fall, I’m beginning to roll up my sleeves to dive into some of my favorite fall dishes. Hearty stews and roasted vegetables rule the season. This Chicken or Veggie Tikka Masala is an excellent stand-alone staple for your recipe book. When I first began making this dish I used this recipe from Bon Appétit. Over the years I’ve modified the recipe to what I’ll share today.

My Veggie Tikka Masala tends to be on the spicier side. As such, feel free to decrease the red chili flakes as needed to suit your tastes. As a general rule, Chicken Tikka Masala should have some kick to it though. If you don’t care about the carbs and choose not to do a cauliflower rice a Basmati rice would be a great traditional option to serve with this dish. You could even put a European twist on it by serving it over mashed potatoes. However, you choose to enjoy this dish, make sure to make enough to share!

Enjoy this Veggie Tikka Masala!

Chicken or Veggie Tikka Masala

Ingredients

3 tbsp. minced garlic, finely grated

3 tsp. finely grated ginger

2 tsp. ground turmeric

2 tsp. garam masala

1 tsp. ground coriander

2 tsp. ground cumin

1½ cups regular yogurt

3 tbsp. salt

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast pieces and/or two heads of cauliflower (one head you'll use for a low-carb rice which will serve about two people. I recommend making new cauliflower rice as opposed to reheating it).

3 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 small onion, thinly sliced

3 large carrots, sliced

1 28-oz. can of garbanzo beans, drained

1/3 cup tomato paste

1 tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 tbsp. curry powder

40 oz. diced canned tomatoes

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup greek yogurt

¾ cup chopped fresh cilantro plus sprigs for garnish

Instructions

1

Mix all of your spices together, omitting the curry powder and leaving 2 tbsp. salt to the side for later. Add your ginger and garlic and mix well.

Notes

These days, meal prep is king. While everyone tries the latest and greatest life hacks for efficiency, few can argue that prepping your week’s meals in advance can save a lot of time and headache. Whether you’re living the single life with three jobs or a stay at home mom, everyone can benefit from prepping some grab-and-go meals to use throughout their week. I’ve done a quite a few one pot recipes in the past to save time on meal prep, but I’d never done a vegan split pea soup until now.

My mom used to cook split pea soup from scratch. I have vivid memories of the aroma of ham and peas wafting through the house to greet me after school. For this recipe, I decided to do a kind of smokey vegan take on mom’s traditional split pea soup. I’ve been craving spicy food like crazy so I implemented some paprika and hot sauce to add some heat to the recipe. I love this vegan split pea soup because it’s really nutritious and high in fiber so it’s filling as a stand-alone entree and can be taken as leftovers for lunch super easily.

Actually, I have this amazing tiny crock pot that I take to work. It holds probably 16 oz. or so and I love it. I just plug it right in when I get to work and by lunch time the contents are hot! I haven’t tried cooking in it but it’s amazing for heating leftovers.

Garnish with paprika and sesame seeds or caramelized onions if desired and serve!

Notes

If you have extra starches laying around you can add potatoes (cubed or diced) and rice or other grains like barley at the same time you add the split peas. This will add more bulk and calories but can extend the use of the recipe if you have a large family or are trying to budget extra for meals.

Domestic life. I’m a super-newbie to it. I’ve been married nearly two years and my daughter is 6 months old. I didn’t grow up in the kitchen, and never saw my future self with a kid. But here I am; a stay at home mom who loves making food for her family. Today, I bring you a little something I’ve learned: five simple simple cooking tips for us new moms.

I’m not claiming to be any sort of connoisseur. My food knowledge is still pretty basic. However, I figure I cant be the only former “definitely never getting married or having kids, so who cares if can cook or not” lady out there. While my rockstar of a husband goes out in the world to bring home the bacon, I’ve learned easy and interesting ways to fry it up (not really, I gave up meat, but thats for another day). In this post, I’m sharing my two cents to keep meals healthier and efficient, and to help other newbies feel a little more confident in their kitchen.

Without further ado…

TIP #1 : VEGETABLES!

Arguably the most important of my simple cooking tips. This is the veggie haul I brought home from my weekly grocery trip (although to be honest, I’m often there more than once a week). I’ll use all these vegetables in the meals over the next five days. I’m a big fan of plants because they are so healthy for all three of us. Our doctor’s philosophy is “If it’s a plant, its great.” Or something along those lines. Anyway, one of the really great things about vegetables, is how quickly you can prepare them – it can take as little as 10 -15 minutes depending onyour method.

Share your veggies with your baby once they are at the age to eat solids. You can purée or cook enough to soften for self feeding.

Large salads are a fantastic way for mom and dad to up their vegetable intake, and are generally quick to prepare. Throw in some beans (we’re especially fond of garbanzo) or nuts for added protein, sans meat.

Make sure your vegetable lot is colorful to ensure your whole family is consuming a variety of nutrients and vitamins!

TIP #2: CROCK POT/ONE POT MEALS

Crock pot Vegetarian Chili

One of the really great things about using a slow cooker, is how little effort you need to put in. As simple cooking tips go, nothing beats an easy meal that tastes great. With a crockpot, once you have all the fixings, you throw it in, and leave it. I can park my daughter in her high chair to hang with me in the kitchen, and usually the prep work takes about 15-20 minutes. This chili cooks at least 6 hours, but preferably 8 hours set on low, so all the flavors settle together. Above is this tasty chili I came across. I’ve changed a couple ingredients to suit it better to our tastes:

I leave out the turkey, although when I first found this recipe we kept it in – yummy both ways!

I soak the beans myself. This saves on cost and cuts down the added preservatives of beans in the can (eventually I’ll use fresh tomatoes for the base as well). With a slow cooker, theoretically you don’t need to soak the beans, you can throw them in dried; but I found the beans were still a little too firm.

To take out some of the spice, because I’m breastfeeding, I replaced the chili powder with paprika and the jalapeño with 1 small can of mild green peppers.

Add garlic powder. I also double down on the spices because I find recipes are always too modest with flavor.

Sidebar: I was in a hurry to take pictures of my prep while my daughter was sleeping, and didn’t pay close enough attention to the spices. I accidentally used cinnamon instead of cumin (lolzzz). I just added another doubling of the CORRECT spices and it tasted great. Maybe it will be my “secret” ingredient. Mistakes are learning experiences!

One-Pot Risotto

This one-pot butternut squash risotto has become a fan favorite in our house. Its a bit time consuming, so this is definitely a meal I cook when my husband is home so he can hang with the baby. Simple cooking tips aren’t always about total time/effort, but overall efficiency. What’s nice about larger dishes is using the uneaten amount as a side later in the week. More work one day, makes less work the next. Just reheat in the oven (at 250 degrees for about 45 minutes). Plus, with one pot meals, less clean up!

The recipe says it serves 4, but consider those liberal servings. One way to get ideas to tailor dishes to your taste, go through the comment section in online recipes. Then, trial and error. Figure out what you like about the meal, and what you don’t.

Used olive oil instead of butter

Added a medium sized yellow onion which I throw in same time as the squash.

Let the squash cook about 10-15 minutes longer to soften it up more than original recipe calls for.

Vegetable stock instead of chicken to make vegetarian friendly.

Double the amount of sage.

TIP #3: MEAL PLAN

My simple cooking tips are designed to make life easier, and new moms love that (or at least, I do). When you’re a newbie, it may seem hard to meal plan. “What do I cook, when I’m not very experienced?” Start off with things you already love, and know how to make. Then, you can start building your personal recipe book. I try to prepare one new recipe a week, so I don’t exhaust meals in my rotation. This also teaches me new skills. Practice makes perfect, after all.

I’ve learned to use an ingredient one recipe calls for again in another meal. Utilize what you have. An easy way to do that is with garnishes, herbs, and spices (See TIP #4). On Monday, I made this delicious salmon (download the recipe card here). One of the sides prepared for this meal was the steamed vegetables from Tip #1; the extra lemon from topping the salmon, I added to the steaming pot. I used one bunch of sage from the butternut squash risotto on the salmon as well. This helped me use up more of the fresh herb and not let it go to waste. Since I knew I needed something specific for one meal in the week, I planned another meal to use the same ingredients. Meal planning for the win!

TIP #4: INVEST IN SPICES

Investing in a spice rack is the beginner’s best friend of simple cooking tips. Depending on what staples you start with, the upfront money shouldn’t be terribly expensive. What you spend first, you save later because dried herbs and spices will go a long way; they can be just as potent a year after opening (you can check freshness by how strongly they still smell). Reduced sodium is another benefit because you won’t need added salt to make your food pop.

Off the bat, dried oregano is an herb to start using. I add it to pretty much everything.

In place of chili powder, I use paprika and cumin for flavor. I miss spicy food (Sriracha forgive me), but its not great for my daughter’s sensitive stomach.

Usually, the ratio for dried herbs to fresh is 1:3 (1 teaspoon of dried herbs to 3 teaspoons of fresh).

Add dried herbs toward the start of cooking to allow their flavor enough time to open up.

TIP #5: FIGURE OUT YOUR STAPLES

Everyone should get to know their pantry/fridge staples. In general, I’m not a huge fan of grocery shopping. So, when life gets too hectic, this is when simple cooking tips really come in handy. Having go-to items each grocery trip makes the event quick, with less stress. Then on nights I’m not sure what to make, or the day gets away from me, I can whip up a simple one-pot dish by throwing anything I have on hand together (recipe card bottom of post), or use a tried-and-true recipe I (now) know by heart. Usually I’m able to lightly experiment by using a different spice, vegetable, or whatever else I have at my disposal.

THE MORAL OF MY STORY

My simple cooking tips stem from “aha!” moments in the kitchen. For new moms venturing into cooking, the experience can seem daunting. Jump in, and you’ll soon realize just how easy it can be to learn. Now, I don’t have toddlers or a big family I cook for every night. That’s my eventual goal. Practicing now, ideally, will help me prepare for my first solo Thanksgiving or a random weeknight with many mouths to feed. Like I said at the top, I’m new to all this, but I’ve loved learning, and especially impressing my husband.

I am generally on my own with an infant while feeding myself during the day, so smoothies and yogurt bowls are a fast, tasty way to add nutrition. There are so many variations of flavors, so mix it up throughout your week. I like to add a handful of spinach to my smoothies for an extra boost of those leafy green vitamins.

Whether you’re new like me, or a veteran in the kitchen, preparing healthy meals to feed you and your family is necessary for positive energy, in both body and spirit. When we cut down on processed foods, and engage with what we eat, we’re more mindful of what we consume. Never quit eating pizza, eat an apple a day to keep the doctor away, and put love into everything you make.

Happy Cooking!

What do you think? Are any of these tips helpful? What suggestions can you add to my simple cooking tips?

For breakfast, I’ve always loved granola. As a kid, I had an Uncle who kept granola in his pantry at all times. My home was usually stocked with Grape Nuts and skim milk, so granola with yogurt was a huge treat! Since then, I’ve almost always kept granola stocked in my kitchen as well. However, I can’t believe I’ve been paying for it all this time when it’s soooo simple to make your own granola! For the most part, granola only requires ingredients that you’ll already find in your kitchen cupboards. So, I decided to learn (and teach you) how to make your own! Get ready to level up your smoothie bowl and breakfast recipes!

Recipes for granola all are very versatile because the main component is rolled oats! I read that you won’t want to use quick oats because they don’t hold up as well after baking. This recipe is a great activity to do with family or friends and—perhaps even more so—it’s a quick and easy option to impress some early (or entirely unexpected) guests! Let’s not forget it as a budget option either since granola works as a meal or as a simple grab and go snack.

To make your own granola requires as little or as many ingredients as you’d like and only takes about an hour to make from start to finish.

For my granola, I wanted something that was tropical and kind of sweet. I knew I’d be putting it over plain Greek yogurt and wanted to include what I already had too much of in my pantry.

In this recipe, I added an egg white for added protein. However, granola only needs a ratio of around 1:6 wet to dry. You can make a simple syrup or use honey/agave, egg whites, and oil for your wet ingredients like I did. If you’re adding dried fruits like raisins, goji, apricots, etc., you’ll want to wait to add those until the mix is baked through and transferred to a bowl.

I order spring rolls pretty much every time my husband and I go out to Thai food. I love the chewy texture and vibrant colors that peak through the veil of rice paper. I’m a big fan of mochi and rice noodles as well! After one of my recent visits to a sushi place, an idea struck me: What if I made a breakfast burrito with rice paper??! Holy shit, am I some breakfast genius?

I did some googling, and it turns out a breakfast burrito with rice paper has been done before.

However, it’s received way less attention than I would think. I’ve seen fruit and floral spring rolls trending on Instagram lately, which I still want to try. This time, however, it was a matter of what was available to me, so I was inspired to create a colorful breakfast burrito with rice paper.

The great thing about this recipe is how versatile it is. Rice paper is naturally gluten free, which is a huge plus! That opens the possibilities to an even larger and more diverse group. I’m always on the lookout for easy and quick meal options for my husband, as well as any guests that grace our doorstep.

You could incorporate fried tofu, sweet potato, hash browns, cheese, veggies, or nearly anything else that belongs with breakfast. I’d love to try both a tofu scramble and breakfast oats in some rice paper soon.

I first became interested in baking, specifically bread making, while touring a commissary for the restaurant I worked for. During my visit, the kitchen lead explained to me that they were having an issue with their “mother dough.” I love learning different recipes, so I was immediately interested in knowing about everything he was talking about. Does the dough really have a mother? Wait, the dough is a living thing, that you feed?! What the what? My head was spinning with questions and concerns. I never knew that making Artisan Sourdough Bread was an artform!

Since this experience, I’ve learned a little more about breadmaking and specifically about sourdough. King Arthur Flour is a fantastic resource for baking and breadmaking, my friend—that was kind enough to give me a sourdough starter—turned me on to their site and it’s full of great information!

If you happen to have friends that bake or dabble in bread making, consider yourself lucky! On my journey to my first bread making experience, I lamented over acquiring a sourdough starter or piece of “mother dough.” I knew I could make my own starter using a few separate ingredients. But is that better? I was so grateful to be gifted a starter in the end. This started me on my path to an Artisan Sourdough Bread Recipe of my own!

The basics for sourdough are this:

Sourdough is fermented and used to start the next batch. This is a ‘leaven’ or ‘starter’ and is used instead of fresh yeast.

When flour mixes with warm water, it attracts bacteria, including wild yeast. The living bacteria create/ expel by-products that allow the dough to rise.

Bacteria from our (your) environment break down makeup of the flour, turn complex carbs into sugars, which the yeast feed on. This process produces a gas (CO2) and causes the dough to expand. Depending on your breadmaking environment your bacteria and yeast will behave differently. That’s why there’s ‘San Francisco’ Sourdough, because of the environment/ climate the dough is cultivated in.

When raised dough goes into an oven, the yeast will die off, but the CO2 bubbles are trapped inside. It’s for this reason that bread, particularly sourdough, has airy bubbles.

I loved the result of my first Artisan Sourdough Bread Recipe. I modified a few recipes into the one I used. Most are very similar anyway.

Artisan Sourdough Bread Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup of "fed" sourdough starter (This means your starter has been fed in the last 6-12 hours and has a nice, happy, bubbly consistency).

1 1/4 cups of lukewarm water

4-5 cups of unbleached flour

1 packet (2 tsp.) active dry yeast (you can add this straight in or activate it with warm water per the instructions on the package)

2 1/2 - 3 tsp. salt

Optional:

1/4 - 1/2 tsp. of citric acid (for extra sour bread)

1 tbsp. sugar in the raw

Instructions

1

Combine all ingredients and knead into a smooth ball of dough with a little bounce. You can do this by hand or for 3-5 minutes with a bread hook in a mixer.

2

Set the dough ball in a greased, covered bowl and allow it to proof/ rise for 70-100 minutes. If the bowl is large enough you can cover with plastic wrap or use a shower cap like I did. This protects the dough from drying out. Some people even use a wet towel. You just don't want the cover to touch your dough.

3

Divide the dough in half and carefully shape the dough into loaves, placing them on a greased baking sheet or parchment lined baking sheet. Allow the loaves to proof/ rise for another hour or so.

4

Preheat your oven to 425°F.

5

Slash a deep "X" through each loaf on top. Use a serrated bread knife if possible. I didn't and I read it's easier.

6

Place your loaves (on the greased baking sheet or parchment lined baking sheet) in the oven for 20-35 minutes. Check your loafs regularly every 5-10 minutes and spray them quickly and lightly with lukewarm water.

This Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger exists because a good veggie burger is hard to come by. The store bought kinds are typically bland in flavor and trying to front like some fake meat, which is gross if you ask me. What if you could fulfill your veggie burger desires in your very own kitchen? Well, you can!

Being a Lacto-Ovo vegetarian—as well as a reasonably active person—I’m always looking for new recipes and ideas to get enough protein in my diet. As many of you know, it can be increasingly difficult to fulfill your protein goals as a vegetarian. It’s not that it’s too hard, and the average person doesn’t need too much protein. As an athlete, though, it just takes more precise math and dedication to tracking your nutrition. I’ve tried a lot of veggie burgers over the years. Black bean is my favorite variation, but I had quite a bit of trouble with the quinoa & black bean burgers. They always seemed to crumble apart, which might be a user error but was annoying nonetheless. These small kitchen mishaps inspired me to look at other ingredient options. I was triumphal with this Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger.

My friends and family have been raving about this sweet potato black bean burger since I first served it with my Mango Radish Coleslaw. The sweet potato gives the burger a great consistency. Not to mention, the little bit of sweetness enhances the other spices and ingredients. I put an egg in mine for the extra protein nudge, but you could totally use vegan egg replacer or even a little Greek yogurt if you eat dairy but not eggs.

Notes

With Nowruz (Persian New Year, the Spring Equinox) right around the corner, I thought I’d post a recipe for a Vegan Ash-e Reshteh! There are many kinds of Ash you can make, but Ash-e Reshteh seems to be the most popular. It’s made throughout the year on my husband’s side of the family, and it’s always made for Nowruz.

I first learned to make Ash-e Reshteh shortly after my engagement to my husband. His mother had gifted me a Persian cookbook. Her quiet way of both welcoming me to the family and validating my suspicion that the key to keeping her son’s heart was through food. No doubt, I happily got to practicing my Ash and Beef Koobideh recipes, all while secretly plotting to find ways to make some of it vegan.

Ash-e Reshteh is a thick soup. It’s typically made with onion, beans, noodles, lentils, garlic, beet, spinach, herbs, spices, and beef broth. I’ve always substituted vegetable broth in the past and made a vegetarian version. Furthermore, the other non-vegan friendly ingredient is the kashk. Kashk is basically whey that’s stirred in at the end and added as a garnish. Oh, and the noodles are thought to bring luck into the New Year!

I’ve always wanted to make a Vegan Ash-e Reshteh! I thought this would be a great opportunity to try and finally make a vegan version using a recipe for garbanzo bean whipped cream I’d seen floating around.

Instructions

1

In a large pot heat your coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add your minced garlic and thinly sliced onion, saving some onion on the side for the garnish later. Stir fry until the onions are soft and beginning to brown

2

Add the beans, turmeric, salt and pepper and stir-fry for two minutes. If you used canned beans (I did) then you can skip Step 3

3

Add 9 cups of water and bring to a boil, reduce heat and continue cooking for 15 minutes

4

Add your veggie broth and lentils, continue cooking for 15 minutes

5

Add your noodles and slowly sift in your flour while stirring the pot. Allow the soup to cook, covered and on low, for another 15 minutes

6

Add your spinach, dill, parsley, and beet. Continue cooking another 10-15 minutes or until the noodles and lentils are both soft

7

*Add your vegan cream and stir in, saving some for the garnish.

8

Garnish with crispy caramelized onions and a dollop of "cream"

Notes

* Vegan cream: Simply combine the liquid from two cans garbanzo beans with 1/8 tsp. of cream of tartar and mix on high for 10-15 minutes or until stable and cream-like.
**You can also just omit the cream entirely if you don't have a Kitchenaid or hand mixer. The soup is delicious anyway.
***The "cream" can collapse quickly and in a hot pot, it almost completely dissolves. I still liked it for the recipe because I felt it gave the soup a slightly creamier look.

Coleslaw is something I look forward to at every barbecue and potluck I attend. It’s a versatile dish and one of the more fun sides to experiment with. I came to the idea for this Mango Radish Coleslaw recipe after trying to decide on a side for my Sweet Potato Black Bean Veggie Burger. The colorful coleslaw was a perfect pairing choice and totally hit the mark!

I’m a coleslaw connoisseur. One of my favorites that I’ve had recently was a Texas style coleslaw. It was vegan but spoke to traditional Texas BBQ. The slaw had notes of paprika and chili powder, corn, red pepper, and a few other ingredients I love! It was a bit on the sweet side but smoky and robust as well. I fully intend to re-create it at some point, but for now, it’s Spring! I’d wanted to try something that would pair well with lighter flavors and go with the season.

I wanted to do a sweet, light coleslaw that was different from the norm. Something almost like a salad, full of color and flavor that dominated the mayo, rather than the other way around. It’s my firm opinion that fruits and color are highly underutilized in the coleslaw scene (is there a scene? I made that up). Some mango and radishes were on hand, so I decided to go for a Mango Radish Coleslaw.

I always incorporate ingredients that can easily be substituted for vegan options—this Mango Radish Coleslaw is no exception. This delightful dish is a delicious side and a perfect for a light snack.

The first time I had roasted red beet hummus, I was a total stranger to all things beets. As a teenager, I worked at a Round Table Pizza (if you don’t know what that is, you aren’t missing much). I had to work the salad bar basically every shift. These duties included refilling the various toppings. One of them—you guessed it—was beets. I’m sure the beets were canned or something, but the smell of 3 gallons of beets in juice was enough to make my stomach turn.

It took me exactly fifteen years to get over my repulsion, and it was roasted red beet hummus that did the trick!

The gorgeous color of this mysterious dip captivated me the first time I had it at a party. Once I learned it was beet hummus, I was disgusted (of course) but I didn’t want to be rude, so I tried it. It was delicious! The essence of beet was still there, but it was leveled out by the chickpeas and garlic. I was in love! This led to me eventually trying beet in my juices and now I really love it.

This roasted red beet hummus is a beautiful addition to any table. Hummus is already a healthy dish. Beets enhance it as a great source of folate (vitamin B9), fiber, manganese, vitamin C, potassium, and iron.